Crater of Diamonds Newsletter

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! After a blazing hot July, it’s been a nice change to have slightly cooler temperatures and more rainfall in August. Although many of us like to stay in the air conditioning on hot summer days, our park maintenance has worked in the heat of summer, the cold of winter, and all sorts of weather in-between to help keep things running smoothly and keep the Crater looking nice. Cleaning the park is a constant job, and we definitely appreciate park visitors and staff who make conscious decisions to recycle or dispose of trash properly, rather than throw it on the ground.

The Crater of Diamonds is a major destination for travelers to Southwest Arkansas, and the good or bad experiences people have here reflect upon all of us. If visitors encounter trash while searching for diamonds or otherwise enjoying the park, it can have a negative impact on the rest of their stay and color their opinions about the entire area.

To keep litter from ruining the good experiences of our visitors, on Saturday, September 8, Crater of Diamonds State Park will host the Fifth Annual Great Crater Cleanup, from 1 - 4 p.m., in conjunction with the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission’s Great Arkansas Cleanup. In case of rain, the event will be postponed until Saturday, September 15.

Volunteers should arrive at the park visitor center by 1 p.m. to register and gather supplies. Gloves and trash bags will be provided, and Great Arkansas Cleanup t-shirts will be given away while supplies last. Dress for outdoor work, wear sturdy shoes or boots, and bring drinking water. Following the event we will serve refreshments and hold a prize drawing for volunteers!

Everyone is invited, but teams of five or more planning to attend should call the park by September 5 to register as a group. For more information, or to register a volunteer group, contact Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3116 or by e-mail at CraterofDiamonds@arkansas.com. Come help us make better experiences for visitors to Southwest Arkansas, and help the Crater shine like a diamond this September!

August 13 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 10 pt. yellow, 25 pt. white, 52 pt. brown; Zinn Hale, Conway, AR, 42 pt. brown

August 14 - Timothy Gray, Royal, AR, 5 pt. white; Toni Humphry, Delight, AR, 7 pt. yellow

August 15 - Jessica Johnson, Little Rock, AR, 28 pt. white; Ys Jang, Tulsa, OK, 45 pt. yellow